Sports events, games and other competitions draw enthusiasts who are interested in following the progress of such events, as is evidenced by large in-person attendance numbers, lucrative television and radio broadcasts, and diverse information sharing media which exist for the enjoyment of fans and casual followers.
Typical access methods provided include live attendance, television or radio broadcasts, emerging internet video streaming technology, and post-event highlights and summary presentations in newspapers.
Between the presentation of live audio and video media and the post-event information summaries there is currently no means to communicate move-by-move game play progress in a distilled, graphical format. Such a distillation would offer spectators an ability to follow game play progress without the associated extra visual information or ‘clutter’ which commands full attention engagement. Such a “lightly-engaging” game information presentation is of value where a person has the need, or desire, to dedicate a portion of their attention to something else, such as workplace tasks, the public-space environment around them, or to other people with whom they may be interacting.
Conventional media delivery of game events does not accommodate viewers in diverse environments. Television programs, for example, are most comfortable for users to watch in a residential environment, or in a group viewing environment such as a public bar or club. In such cases, the immersion of the viewers attention in the event is comfortable and enjoyable. Self immersion is not desirable in other environs where the domination of viewer attention is detrimental to personal feelings of comfort, safety, engagement with others, task-effectiveness or general awareness. Examples are the work environment, where certain tasks and goals must be addressed, or in a public transit situation where commuters are most comfortable when they can maintain an awareness of the people and space around them or pending connections required to complete their trip.
As well, in an era when time is perceived as a highly valued resource, individuals engage in a high degree of multi-tasking. Thus being able accommodate interest in following a game event while also addressing other interests, tasks or chores is of value to people.
A typical approach for individuals with an interest in a sports event who find themselves otherwise engaged or committed is to seek out small bits of information during the event, such as asking others “do you know what the score is in the game?” They may also repeatedly check a website for score and progress updates. They are also likely to check other diverse media for reports of the game outcome due to their inability to have followed the event.
No broadly available, or even cursorily available means to deliver a low-engagement sports event progress appears to be available to consumers of such information. As well, there is usually no means by which a game joined in progress can be seen in its entirety, or a game just missed can be seen at all.
A means for effectively capturing and sharing game play information in a way that is conducive to such a situation is therefore needed to fill the niche of low-density sports information delivery.